CC Harrison serial # 11,022 help

[tmcsweeney]

I just picked up a beautiful old lens at a garage sale and could use a little info. I know that it’s from the last year Harrison made lenses from the serial number chart here in the forums but other than that all I know is it’s a radial drive, has the adjustable iris and is about 7 inches long. Don’t have a ruler with me. I know I should prob salt just pay the 15$ and download the 800 page history of lenses but I only have my phone and I’m excited about the find. Along with the lens I snagged a Graflex 8x10 focal plane shutter in mint condition. 😀😀😀😀192084192085

[Steven Tribe]

There is far more knowledge here about Harrison than in the UK/Europe themed Lens Vade Mecum!
It looks pretty wonderful to my inexpert eyes!

[goamules]

That's a nice one, you don't see many smaller CCH with the iris, which he invented. This late one was made after C.C. Harrison himself died, most probably. Both Anthony, American Optical, and Scovill at times helped Harrison by merging with his early company or having him join them. After his death, his foreman, Morrison, continued helping for a while. Then he started his own lens company. I'd have to look at my notes to see when he left, if it's even possible to figure out.

That engraving style with the "f" for the "s" is correct, going back to at least to serial number 3882.

Harrisons were considered the best lenses in America when they were made, equal to Dallmeyers'.

[tmcsweeney]

Yeah I’m not too familiar with these wet plate lenses and cameras. I’m converting back from digital. I found the lens, an 8 x 10 century camera, graflex rear focal plane shutter for sale 800 miles from my house for a few hundred dollars. I actually jumped on a plane and bought it a day later. I’m interested to see what the lens covers.

[tmcsweeney]

Just mounted the lens in my century studio camera and I was actually having difficulty getting the lens to focus on the ground glass because the bellows were not compressing enough. Granted the object that I was focusing on was only 15 feet away, but I definitely didn't expect that distance to be that close

[goamules]

I should have mentioned coverage. That is what they called a "half plate" lens back in the wetplate era. A half plate is a little bigger than 4x5 inches. It will have about a 7" focal length, difficult to get that bellows compression on a big studio camera.

A petzval type lens like this one has to be huge to cover 8x10, about as big around as a large coffee can, and about 15" long. If it's a full 8x10 focal plane shutter, it is a very useful shutter you should keep for when you get a lens that covers.

[tmcsweeney]

That makes sense now. I already have a 16.5” F4.5 Voigtländer Helier that I use on the studio camera for 8x10 and its a pretty hefty lens. The Harrison is slightly smaller. Looks like it’s time to hunt down a half plate camera. ��

[pdoyle]

I must say that I am curious. How did you find a garage sale 800 miles away?

[tmcsweeney]

Pure dumb luck honestly. An old friend saw this for sale at a garage sale in their neighborhood. They remembered that I loved shooting film so they sent me a few pictures of the lens and a few other things. They told homeowner to set it aside for me and I flew down. God bless my frequent flyer miles!!!

[tmcsweeney]

I finally took a photo with this lens. It was my very first Wet plate 8x10 using the Bostick Sullivan chemistry. I think I over exposed a bit and I might have not developed long enough because I diluted the developer as per the summer instructions for their developer. I also realized my silver bath doesn’t fully submerge my 8 x 10 plates. Lol192676

[goamules]

You're on your way! Yeah, you over exposed. Try about 1/3 to 1/2 of that amount of time next time. Also, if you start with 8x10s you'll use a LOT of chemistry and aluminum and expire your silver quickly. Get to where you can shoot excellent quarter plates before moving to the huge ones. In the 1860s, 98% of plates were 1/6th to 1/4 plates.

[tmcsweeney]

My smaller plate holder hasn’t been delivered yet. I didn’t have the patience to wait. ��